Facebook parent Meta threatens to remove news from platform if US passes media bill

Facebook parent Meta platforms Inc has warned that it will be forced to remove news from its platform entirely if the US Congress passed the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. Meta argued that broadcasters benefitted by posting content on their platform. If passed, the act will make it easier for news companies to negotiate with tech giants like Meta and Alphabet for their content. Meta had taken a similar stance in Australia where a similar law was passed.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone in a tweet said the Act fails to recognize that publishers and broadcasters put content on the platform because "it benefits their bottom line - not the other way around."

The law in Australia took effect in March 2021 after talks with the big tech firms led to a brief shutdown of Facebook news feeds in the country, has largely worked, a government report said.

Since the News Media Bargaining Code took effect, various tech firms including Meta and Alphabet had inked more than 30 deals with media outlets, compensating them for content which generated clicks and advertising dollars, the report added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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